Incelebratus
by gryffinroar94
Summary: A collections of drabbles and one-shots from the Marauder Era that were never recorded and died with those who lived them.
1. Fifth Year: Treacle Tart

"Shhh you'll disturb everyone still up, Sirius!" whispered Remus Lupin, guiltily fingering his prefect badge.

"Oh Moony, when will you ever learn that the squares who care are already in bed, they're not going to be just sitting around by the fire-"

Sirius Black stopped in his tracks, stretching the invisibility cloak to its limit over the four not-so-small sixteen year old boys.

"Bloody hell Padfoot!" hissed James coming to a halt, "what are you playing at?"

Sirius did not reply, but Peter managed to quietly stammer out "It's, it's Evans, Prongs."

James turned to the other boys and said, "I'll see you boys up in the dormitory."

"Are you sure that's wise after what happened yesterday?" asked Remus cautiously, but James had already slipped out from under the cloak and was approaching the figure on the couch.

"Evans." He said gently, without getting a response.

Lily Evans lay with her elbows sat on top of the couch arm, head tilted towards an old radio on the side table which was tuned into Wizarding Wireless Network and playing a crooning Celestina Warbeck tune.

James walked around in front of her, crouching down next to her and asking again, a little more desperately, "Lily?"

Lily's face turned from the warmth of the fire and James could see that there were tiny little pearls of tears sitting in the corners of her eyes.

"Lily, please tell me what's wrong."  
>Lily looked at him confused, and turned back towards the fire, shutting off the wireless with a flick of her wand.<p>

"Look, I know I'm an awful, 'arrogant bullying toe-rag' as you so aptly put it, but that doesn't mean I don't care."

"You wouldn't understand," mumbled Lily, playing with the band of her jumper sleeve. "Besides," she said with her eyes narrowing, "what are you doing out of bed?"

"I just came down from the dormitory to, uh, get my transfiguration notes…left them on the big table in the corner," James lied quickly, praying she wouldn't turn around and see the empty table.

"You're an awful liar," said Lily without looking at him, "you don't make notes for Transfiguration, and you certainly did not come down those steps. They make quite a distinct noise you know, even over the wireless."

James opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off, "-and before you lie again, I don't really care. Not today. Maybe not tomorrow either, or ever for that matter."

James was taken aback, _Lily Evans, apathetic? _ "Lily, I know we're not really good friends, but something is most definitely up. The Lily Evans prefect extraordinaire I know would never hold back on questioning me about my misadventures."

She turned to look at him this time and said wistfully, "Well Potter, some things change…Perhaps your misadventures are no longer such a pressing issue in the current climate."

"Err, well I can't say I'm not happy about not having to explain losing more house points tomorrow at breakfast…" James replied ruffling his hair, brow furrowed, "but that still doesn't really answer my question."

Lily looked at him, scanning his face for something inexplicable, but when she found it, she started speaking, the words tumbling out with a momentum of their own, "I'm not sure I can do it anymore. Hold my head high, walk around like there's nothing going on," she sighed before continuing, "If you must know I was listening to the late night bulletin. They replayed a speech of Harold Minchum's, and he kept saying all these positive things about solidarity and that good will triumph, but he's scared, everyone is! He's doubled the amount of Dementors guarding Azkaban. Things aren't any better outside the wizarding world either, my dad's lost his job and my mum can't find one…and I don't know why I'm telling you any of this because I'm sure you actually don't care."

James lowered himself down onto the ground so he was sitting next to the couch, "Ouch Lily, I do care. You're a good person, and you don't deserve this. Nobody deserves this and that's the point. I wonder if some of these negative feelings came about because you skipped dessert to study…" he trailed off, producing a large slice of treacle tart from his pocket and offering it to her.

Lily laughed one of the tears breaking loose and running down her cheek, "my favourite!"

"Mine too," said James, "and it's always better at midnight."

"Bloody hell, is it midnight already?" Lily said her eyes widening.

"Mebee…" replied James, his mouth full of a second piece of treacle tart, "bu iz Sa-rday oomorrow."

Lily smiled trying to keep a straight face. She took a bite out of her piece treacle tart and replied, "fanks for issenin an th ood o course"

James swallowed and said, "Now you're getting it Evans. This is what life is about, midnight treacle tart."

"I'm starting to come around to your point of view I think, but seriously, thank you James. If only you could be this kind all the time."  
>James knew what she was talking about and took this as his chance to reprieve himself, "about that-"<br>Lily waved her hand rapidly in front of his face, cutting him off, "It doesn't matter James. We both know what you did yesterday was awful. Try and be a better person tomorrow."  
>It was James' turn for his eyes to widen in surprise. He couldn't reply, he just made gulpy noises. Lily laughed again, it was warmer this time, "Yes, the treacle tart did sweeten me up, the conversation wouldn't have gone quite this well a few hours ago…" tapping her prefect badge she added, "and anyway, isn't it time you went to bed?"<p>

"Uh, yes, of course," James replied, scrambling up from his seated position, and heading towards the boys' staircase, "G'night Evans."

"Oh and Potter," James stopped and turned to look back at her, her smile tugging up at one corner, "Five points from Gryffindor, otherwise you'll be seen as bribing a prefect."

James pouted melodramatically in response, but when he turned around to walk up the stairs to the dormitory his grin stretched from ear to ear.


	2. Sixth Year: Late Night Patrol

Sixth year was awful, Lily Evans had decided.

Only three weeks into the new term and she already had one hundred inches worth of essays due in the next week, and to top it off, Professor McGonagall had decided to set a practice theory exam on their summer reading and the coursework they had covered since the beginning of term.

And this was why Lily Evans was wandering the halls muttering to herself, intermittently flipping over a piece of parchment in her hands only to swear every time she did so.

She sighed, looking up from the parchment, rubbing her brow and frowning, wondering where she was.

Torches were bracketed on the stone walls which cast a golden glow over the flagstone floor. _Had she gone past the corridor for the Great Hall? _

"Bugger," she swore under her breath even though no one was around. What she wouldn't give to have Remus as her patrol partner tonight, he and the rest of his friends knew the castle like the back of their hands.

Unfortunately, Lily's patrolling partner for the night in question was a fellow sixth-year Ravenclaw who had announced that he was sick at the last minute. _Yeah right,_ Lily had thought_, conveniently ill the day before a first-thing-in-the-morning Transfiguration exam_. She then cursed herself for not being smart enough to have at least swapped with someone else. Instead of being snuggled up in her four-poster bed fast asleep in Gryffindor Tower, she was lost with nothing but a piece of parchment with practice questions on Human Transfiguration.

_C'mon Lily, you can figure this out_, she told herself. _It's warm, the paintings are cheery and food related, and you've gone past the Great Hall… _

"I must be near the Hufflepuff Common Room!" she said aloud, doing a little twirl.

A deep chuckle came from behind her, "Well done, Evans" said James Potter smirking.

'Wh-where did you come from?" Lily stammered, eyes wide and clutching at her chest.

"Well wouldn't you like to know," James replied, his eyes twinkling, taking a bite out of a piece of treacle tart he held in his hand.

Lily's eyes narrowed, "Well yes, seeing as it's past curfew and you have no possible business here. I am a prefect you know."

"Au contraire, Evans. Everyone has business here, it's just that everyone doesn't know where _here_ is exactly."

"Potter, stop being mysterious, and tell me why on earth you are – hang on," she stopped mid-sentence taking a deep inhale, "-is that _freshly-baked_ treacle tart?"

"Nose like a bloodhound you have. Yes, it is indeed. Want a bite, I know it's your favourite?" he asked offering it to her.

"Well..." Lily started thinking of that sweet, melt-in-your-mouth taste of treacle before she snapped back into herself, "Hang on, you still haven't answered me, why on earth are you here?"

"For this of course," he replied motioning to the treacle tart.

"But how?" Lily asked, "Surely you just nicked that from dinner and cast a reheating spell on it!"

"Evans, Evans, Evans, going on six years in this castle and you don't know where its heart is?" James said, tutting before taking a bite out of the treacle tart, he chewed and swallowed it before adding, "Besides, you can't recreate that freshly-baked smell."

Lily frowned thinking about what he had said, "You mean the kitchens are around here?"

"Noo ood et it ientually," he chuckled with his mouth full, crumbs spilling out onto his robes.

"I see you didn't learn not to talk with your mouth full over the summer," Lily chided, moving forward to brush the crumbs off.

"Sorry," James blushed, "guess I should be getting back to the tower then, huh?" He turned on his foot and was about to walk away before being pulled back by Lily.

"Not before you tell me how to get into the kitchen, you're not!" Lily said, her small ivory hand squeezing his forearm.

"Oh Evans, I'm afraid I have to withhold that information from you. You understand, don't you?"

Lily pouted looking at him with her doe eyes, "Please _James_, pretty pretty _please_? You can tell little old me."

"Wrong again Evans," he said pulling away and starting to walk down the corridor, and without even turning around he added, "this way you'll have to keep talking to me this year."


	3. Seventh Year: First Kiss

"What about Bertram Aubrey?" said Marlene looking up from her half red toenails to survey Lily's reaction.

"Really Marlene?" Lily asked frowning, "I still don't think his head's gone back to normal size after last year."

"Hmm, yeah I suppose," Marlene replied without looking up from her toenail polish. "He just looks like he has a very nice mouth…and judging from what Gina Davis says, he is very adept at using it."

Lily looked down from her bed at Marlene disapprovingly without responding.

"So uh, how about you tell me how your lover boy does in the snogging department?" Marlene asked as casually as she could manage (not masking her enthusiasm at all).

Lily blushed a shade of crimson, "Marlene, that's very personal!" she said hugging her pillow into her chest, "and besides, you've known James since childhood, isn't it sort of weird to be asking about us?"

Marlene flicked her wand to screw the cap back onto her nail varnish and stood up walking towards Lily's bed. "Lily Evans, you had better give me some damn good gossip, because I already lost ten sickles to none other than Sirius Black on the matter of you and dear Mr. Potter's relationship, so spill!"

Marlene plonked herself down on Lily's bed, and waited with her eyebrows raised and arms crossed.

Lily, still a frightful shade of crimson, picked at her nails and whispered quietly without meeting Marlene's gaze, "There's nothing to tell."

Marlene's face softened immediately, and she shuffled across the bed to pull Lily into a one-armed hug, leaning her head on her collarbone.

"But you went to Hogsmeade together the other weekend didn't you? You told me you had a great time!"

"I did," Lily said with a wisp of nostalgia carrying on her voice, "It was the best first date I've ever had-"

"It better be the last first date you ever have if I ever hope to win my money off Black," muttered Marlene.

Lily lifted her head off of Marlene's chest to frown at her. "I'm not even going to ask."

"Sorry, sorry, you must know we've been betting on this for a very long time," said Marlene, adding "even Remus is in on it," as if this would absolve her of any wrongdoing.

"_Remus_? Really?" Lily shook her head in disbelief before turning back to Marlene, "Would you like to hear the rest of the story or should we just start picking out baby names?"

"Well your preferred baby names could be some very useful information…." Said Marlene, half-jokingly.

Lily responded with a pillow to Marlene's stomach.

"Oof, okay, okay!" said Marlene, "On with the story!"

Lily hugged the pillow back into her stomach taking a deep breath, "So anyway, the date was amazing, we could just talk about anything, you know? And my cheeks were so sore from laughing, and it was just all so perfect before it got to the end…" Lily trailed off looking at Marlene to see if she knew what she was talking about.

"The bit where you're supposed to have that first kiss goodbye, right? I know the bit. It's awkward Lils, it always is!" Marlene said reassuringly, rubbing Lily's back.

"That's the thing though Marls, it didn't happen. My wonderful, perfect date ended with the most awkward hug of all time."

Marlene let out a low whistle, "That's rough."

Lily looked down at the pillow and said, "I know. And I don't know why which is even more frustrating, I mean how can everything be perfect and then be so – so…"

"Not perfect?" Marlene offered.

"Yeah," Lily said glumly, "not perfect."

"Well, have you tried talking to James about this?" Marlene asked. "Maybe it was all a misunderstanding? He thought you didn't want a snog or something? Or maybe he was self-conscious about his breath or something?" Marlene sighed, adding, "Boys are weird Lily, never forget that."

"Thanks, I'll cross stitch that into a pillow," replied Lily sarcastically.

"You'll do what to a pillow?" asked Marlene, raising an eyebrow quizzically. "There's no need to get desperate, Lily."

Lily let out a small chuckle. Marlene really would never embrace her inner-muggle.

Marlene sensed she may have missed the joke, and asked Lily, "When are you going to see James again?"

"Tonight for rounds in about an hour," Lily replied. "Oh Merlin, what am I going to do?" she asked to no-one, falling backwards onto the bed with the pillow across her face.

"Brightest witch, my arse," muttered Marlene getting up off of the bed to take full advantage of the free dormitory bathroom.

Lily awoke an hour later from her unscheduled nap as her newly-charmed wristwatch reminded her it was time for rounds.

With great effort, she pulled herself up, surveying the rest of the dormitory which was now empty. She rubbed at her eyes, and walked over to the mirror hanging beside the door where she caught a glimpse of her hair. "Ugh, I'd better fix that," she said aloud to herself, grabbing the nearest brush and pulling it furiously through the knot that had formed near the crown of her head. "As good as it's gonna get," she affirmed to herself, grabbing her wand and heading down the stairs into the Gryffindor Common Room.

The common room was bursting with life, from first years playing exploding snap, to fifth-, sixth-, and seventh-years relishing what little free time they had. Lily caught sight of Marlene sitting with Peter and Remus by the fire where they were playing a game of wizarding chess. Marlene threw Lily a big wink as she walked past, but all Lily could manage in response was a weak smile.

Stepping out of the portrait hole, and into the cold, grey corridor, Lily let out a huge sigh, she had time to compose herself before James got here.

"That was a big sigh," said a familiar voice stepping out of the shadows.

Lily remained frozen to the spot.

James chuckled, nervously running his hand through his hair, "I know, I know, I'm early for the first time ever."

It was Lily's second opportunity of the evening to deliver a weak smile in response.

"Shall we go?" he prompted when Lily didn't say anything.

"Uh, yeah," Lily managed to respond. _God dammit Evans, what are you doing? _She mentally berated herself. _You aren't here to patrol; you're here to figure out what on earth is going on!_

James and Lily walked in silence along the seventh floor corridor, their footsteps echoing against the stone walls and floor.

"I may have heard that the fourth year Hufflepuffs were planning on sneaking around tonight, if you feel like taking a trip down that way?" James piped up, looking expectantly at Lily.

Lily nodded in approval, and the two turned at the next staircase making their way down to the Great Hall, towards the Hufflepuff Common Room.

They were about a hundred meters away from the entrance when James suggested, "Why don't you stay here behind this suit of armour, and I can hide behind the one on the other side? That way we can give the sneaky little buggers a real shock?"

Normally Lily Evans would object to such a plan, but tonight she didn't feel like Lily Evans, so instead she replied, "Sounds like a good idea," and snuggled herself into the alcove with the suit of armour.

_Bloody hell_, she thought to herself, hitting her fist against the wall. _I've turned into the sort of girl I've always made fun of; I've turned into…Petunia_. Lily's hand flew to her mouth to silence the sudden intake of air she had inhaled at this realisation. She had to do something about this, and she was going to do it now, she decided.

Stepping out of the alcove, Lily walked purposefully, her arms and her dark red hair swinging forcefully towards the place where James Potter was hiding, she turned to face the alcove, ready to do what she should have done on that Hogsmeade weekend – but it was…_empty?_

"What?" she exclaimed, as angry as she was curious. _He said he would be right here. Had he lied to her? Gone off to do something with his mates and left her in a dark and dingy alcove seven floors away from her nice, warm four-poster bed? _

Lily stepped backwards, hitting her back against the stone wall, and with no more emotional energy, she slid down the wall, sitting in a little ball on the floor with her forehead resting on her elbows. Lily didn't know how long she sat like this, but she was only roused by the sharp click of footsteps on the flagstones. She looked up to see James carrying a large white something in each hand, walking back towards where he _said_ he would be.

Once again filled with anger and confusion by someone she had liked and trusted, Lily pulled herself up off the floor and starting walking towards James, her brow furrowed in anger,

"You," she spat, "you told me that you would be right-" she pointed, "there. Right there."

"Lily, I-" James started to explain before being cut off.

"Don't you dare, _Lily_ me right now, I am so angry with y-" Lily's expression shifted, "Is – is that freshly-baked treacle tart?"

"I wanted to come and get some for you, you seemed a bit down, and it's your favourite food, so I thought I could get some and we could have a little stake-out picnic?" James went to ruffle his hair again, but realised he didn't have a free hand as both of his were presently occupied with pieces of freshly-baked treacle tart wrapped in enormous white napkins.

Lily wanted to cry. She could feel the tears welled up inside of her, and she gave a watery chuckle at her own stupidity.

"Oh Merlin, Lily what's wrong? I did something wrong didn't I?" James asked, "Bollocks," he added, referring to his current emotional and lack-of-hands predicaments.

Lily laughed again, the tears she had managed to hold back slipping down her face. She rose up onto her tippy-toes, wrapped her arms around James' neck, and pulled his mouth down onto hers.

It was a little salty from her tears, but Lily Evans thought this was the sweetest kiss that anyone could have. James' lips were slightly chapped from playing Quidditch in the November winds, but they were warm and eager. There was no hesitation, they had both fully committed the minute their lips had come together, and just when Lily had started to open her mouth to deepen the kiss, from behind them came a voice that said,

"Isn't that the Head Boy and Girl?"

Lily and James broke apart and turned to the speaker, a fourth year Hufflepuff who had snuck out with three of his friends in tow, no doubt to cause mischief.

"How about you four gentlemen go back to bed, and we won't dock any points this time?" Lily suggested sweetly.

"I doubt you'd have time to dock points with your faces stuck together like that," one of them sneered.

"Hey!" James shouted, trying to point before realising the treacle tart was still in his hand, "this beautiful lady right here made you a very generous offer, and I suggest you take it, because my offer will be ten points each from Hufflepuff."

Lily tried not to laugh, trying desperately to frown at the boys in a disappointed yet authoritative manner.

The four boys looked at each other before returning to their dormitory without another word, knowing forty points would make them the most hated students in Hufflepuff for a while.

"Oh how the times have changed," Lily giggled after they had left, "this must have a flashback to been Matilda Baddock and Rupert Green telling you boys off back in the day."

"More than you'd like to think," James replied, offering Lily her piece of treacle tart, which she immediately took a bite out of. "We caught them snogging once too-"

A chunk of treacle tart flew out of Lily's mouth, and she struggled to breathe, coughing out, "_Seriously?_"

"Dead serious," said James after finishing his bite.

"Boys are weird," Lily said.

"What?" James said, wondering if he had misheard.

"Just a piece of advice from Marlene," Lily explained.

"Oh really?" James asked mockingly, "Well I'm sure that applies to just about every boy ever, obviously…"

"Definitely," Lily affirmed after swallowing another bite of her piece of tart. "See I went on this absolutely perfect date with this gorgeous bloke in Hogsmeade, but he just for the life of his couldn't pluck up the courage and k-"

James pressed against Lily's mouth as she tried to finish the rest of her sentence. Lily tried to resist at first, but she gave in to the taste of treacle tart and let the tingling warmth flood through her body.

When they finally broke apart, Lily added, "He certainly is excellent at making up for lost time though," and it was James' turn to chuckle as they made their way back to Gryffindor Tower, treacle tart in his left hand, and Lily's hand in his right.


End file.
